Youths are defined as persons aged between 10 and 17 and the Youth Service Board (YJB), a non-departmental public body, oversees the justice system for young offenders in England and Wales. In Scotland the system of Scottish Children’s Hearings is an alternative to court proceedings. In Northern Ireland the Youth Justice Agency deals with youths over 10 and under 18 who offend.
Read more..
In the UK it is commonly held that ignorance of the law is no excuse for (or defence against) breaking the law. The Latin maxim is ‘Ignorantia juris non excusat’. The reason given for this principle is that if such a defence was allowed, then too many guilty defendants would use it to escape conviction.
This principle means that men and women under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom should be aware of the multifarious laws of the land and should take steps to familiarise themselves with laws relating to their particular circumstances. For example, a driver should know about legal alcohol limits and the owner of a building firm should be aware of the Health and Safety regulations pertaining to the construction industry.
Read more..